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News / Columns / RT on DVD
RT's Guide to Twilight on DVD
Which DVD/Blu-ray edition is for you, the true Twilight fan?
by Jen Yamato | March 19, 2009
Discuss Article
Page | 1 2
Twilight DVD

Not everyone is bound to give this week's DVD release of the vampire romance Twilight a second thought. But if you, like us, tore through Stephenie Meyer's Twilight novels (that would be Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn, and the unfinished Midnight Sun) within the span of a few days, barely stopping to eat, breathe, or sleep, inexplicably unable to pay attention at work or school thanks to an endless swarm of thoughts of Bella Swan and her vampire beloved --- dare we say his name? --- Edward Cullen...well, then you're going to need a little help deciding which of the various upcoming Twilight DVD and Blu-ray options you should pick up this Saturday (March 21). And did we mention the enormously enticing box sets that Summit has created for your viewing pleasure?? Twilight -- it's like our own personal brand of heroin, only much, much more addictive.

The savvy folks at Summit will release the first film in the Twilight franchise on 2-disc, 3-disc, and Blu-ray versions with enough bonus materials to satisfy your Twilight jones. But how satisfying is Twilight's DVD release for fans of the book and film? Below, we review the wealth of bonus materials that accompany the standard 2-Disc Special Edition, available nationwide on March 21. (See where you can pick up your copy this Friday at midnight!)


Twilight DVD

The 2-Disc Special Edition

The standard-issue 2-Disc Special Edition DVD comes with an impressive array of extras, headlined by an audio commentary with director Catherine Hardwicke and her two stars, Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. For any Twilighter, this is the essential extra --- two hours of the real-life Bella and Edward shooting the breeze! While it's not the best commentary out there in a technical sense --- Hardwicke mentions things like CG-added trees and the "rain dance" the cast and crew did on set one day, which any Twilight fan has already seen in behind-the-scenes videos on YouTube --- the trio is comfortable and familiar which each other (at least, as comfortable as the notoriously press-shy Stewart and the nervously self-deprecating Pattinson can be).

Sample commentary moment: "This is the scene where it really mattered that we felt you guys had to be together," Hardwicke says of the lab project scene, in which Edward talks to Bella for the first time. "Like, that inexplicable attraction. That magnetic pull."

"We have very similar eyebrows," Pattinson then comments to Stewart.

To which Hardwicke laughs, "Rob, we had to pluck the heck out of your eyebrows!" Ah, the metro-sexual necessities of movie acting.  


Twilight DVD

Another gem of an exchange: "I've already aged about six years," laments Pattinson as he watches Edward save Bella from the swerving truck. "I look haggard. Might as well recast."

"Yeah, I'm sure we can do better now," Hardwicke jokes. (With all the talk of New Moon in this commentary, we imagine she'd not yet broken with Summit at the time of recording.)

"Definitely, it made money --- where's Efron?" Pattinson deadpans.

That's what kind of commentary this is; Hardwicke throws in little details of filming, Stewart mourns for takes that didn't make the final cut, and Pattinson throws out pithy self-critiques ("I look like an anime character") whenever faced with himself onscreen (and yes, he seems to know that the vampire growl sounds silly).


Twilight DVD

Elsewhere on Disc 1, Hardwicke introduces five extended scenes. The best of these are, naturally, Bella and Edward moments: in "A hundred years' worth of journals," we get more of the couple's "getting to know you moments" in Edward's stark bedroom, where Bella talks about making rain sticks out of chinchilla droppings with her mom. Not stellar, but it's the Clair de Lune moment! Even better is "You don't know how it's tortured me," which extends the pivotal meadow scene with more chest-fluttering, heavy-breathing moments, right after Edward has revealed his true nature to Bella.  


Twilight DVD

On Disc 2 you'll find five deleted scenes with Hardwicke introductions. Most of these were wisely cut, though keen-eyed fans will recognize a few scenes from the trailer and the film's credit sequence. For example: a scene in which Emmett (Kellan Lutz) growls at Edward, "Edward, she's not one of us," which appeared in trailers but was conspicuously absent from the film, and "Bella, your number was up the first day I met you," in which Edward and Bella walk through the woods, fall to the ground, and she daringly puts her finger in his mouth "for a taste."

Twilight DVD

But, Twilight fans, the very best deleted scene -- arguably the best single element on the entire 2-disc DVD -- is "That's the first time I dreamt of Edward Cullen." While Hardwicke kept Bella and Edward's love scene relatively tame for the theatrical cut (reportedly at the behest of Stephenie Meyer), she filmed a way hotter version of the night Bella dreams that Edward is in her room. In her dream, before he disappears into the night, Bella pulls Edward into her bed for a brief but physical make-out session. Twilighters, this is the footage you've been waiting for.


Twilight DVD

And yet, there's more. The longest feature (The Adventure Begins: The Journey from Page to Screen) sees Hardwicke and Meyer join cast and crew in a seven-part documentary about all aspects of the Twilight production. A Comic-Con phenomenon feature reveals the 2008 panel that took San Diego by storm, and music videos by Paramore, Muse, and Linkin Park give the MTV crowd a few tangential Twilight extras --- nice and all, but while they offer supplemental and behind-the-scenes looks at the making of the film, these bonus features lack any real insight into what made Twilight (the books and the film) such a popular phenomenon.


Next: See what additional features will be included on retailer-exclusive versions of Twilight

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Comments (1-20 of 31 posts) | Reply
jokerboy1991
jokerboy1991 writes:
on Mar 19 2009 08:38 PM

LOL that DVD cover promotes harassment! Look! Hand gripped to arm with furious zoolander look on face! Thats abuse if I've ever seen it! I won't be going near the dvd, but Jen this is a good article for the fans... also just a reminder: I changed my twitter name from movistarchild to JackGiroux, and yes the new icon picture is a photo of me- I know, the mystery of how awesome I look is finally over... So yeah good article for fans, I don't think there is any other site that is promoting Twilight more then RT, so I guess more power to u guys!

(Reply to this)
Salty Gritts
Salty Gritts writes:
on Mar 19 2009 09:04 PM

Have you ever been to the Entertainment Weekly website? If you think RT does a lot you haven't seen anything yet.

(Reply to this)
ledawg
ledawg writes:
on Mar 19 2009 09:25 PM

What's so attractive about Robert Pattison? His eyes are glazed. And like jokerboy said, like Derrick Zoolander! But, nice work Jen, for the Twilighter's out there.

(Reply to this)
tfortier
tfortier writes:
on Mar 19 2009 11:39 PM

------> Let the right one in

(Reply to this)
reavus4983
reavus4983 writes:
on Mar 20 2009 07:48 AM

Worst movie I've seen in theaters in years. Couldn't stop laughing. I am sure all the crazed Twilight fans (including the woman who actually brought her book to read along with the movie -- in the dark, apparently) wanted to go vampire on me, but I simply couldn't help it. Robert Pattinson should be a comedian.

(Reply to this)
Jen Yamato
Jen Yamato writes:
on Mar 20 2009 09:38 AM

Thanks, fellas - for being kind to me (Twilight nerd) and for allowing that this article is for the fans. ALSO, I appreciate the fact that despite being non-Twilighters, you read it! Love you guys.

(Reply to this)
Amalgamate
Amalgamate writes:
on Mar 20 2009 10:17 AM

pretty bad movie-but I'm not a 12 year old girl...

(Reply to this)
Splitter
Splitter writes:
on Mar 20 2009 05:28 PM

Which version has the commentary where Kristen Stewart is cursing her involvement with the franchise under her breath while Catherine Hardwicke rambles on about how perfect the movie is, and Robert Pattinson keeps asking how much longer until its over?

(Reply to this)
DarkShines2063
DarkShines2063 writes:
on Mar 20 2009 10:40 PM

does this movie have any hot emo girls in it cause if it does i might watch it.

(Reply to this)
Nan Shen S.
Nan Shen S. writes:
on Mar 21 2009 04:15 AM

pretty movie ... I like it!!!

(Reply to this)
Nan Shen S.
Nan Shen S. writes:
on Mar 21 2009 04:16 AM

pretty movie ... I like it!!!

(Reply to this)
Nan Shen S.
Nan Shen S. writes:
on Mar 21 2009 04:17 AM

pretty movie ... I like it!!!

(Reply to this)
E s.
E s. writes:
on Mar 21 2009 07:56 AM

wonderful%uFF01

(Reply to this)
Star Child
Star Child writes:
on Mar 21 2009 09:01 AM

Does the DVD sparkle in the sunlight?

If not, I'm not buying.

Not that I would buy this crap anyway.


(Reply to this)
RoadDogXVIII
RoadDogXVIII writes:
on Mar 21 2009 11:20 AM

Robert Pattinson makes me cum like a beer can.

No, but seriously, this is a lousy movie. Okay, aside from furthering a propaganda for girls to ignore the normal guy and go for the dim-bulb hot guy, it's just unwatchable. How come Disney didn't pick this up? I mean, the way that company's headed, "Twilight" should've been something for the Disney crowd. Because Robert Pattinson is Zac Efron, and Kristin Stewart is Vanessa Hudgens. Dumb, and dumber.


(Reply to this)
Vishal D.
Vishal D. writes:
on Mar 21 2009 12:10 PM

ya liked the movie specially Bella (Kristen Stewart). Waiting for next part (New Moon)...!

(Reply to this)
Vishal D.
Vishal D. writes:
on Mar 21 2009 12:13 PM

ya liked the movie specially Bella (Kristen Stewart). Waiting for next part (New Moon)...!

(Reply to this)
Shelving Unit
Shelving Unit writes:
on Mar 21 2009 12:44 PM

Amazon sent me my 2-disc edition yesterday and I immediately popped it in to hear the audio commentary. Pattinson had me in stitches. Seriously, this movie was hilariously bad by itself, but the commentary made it even better. 'Tis a shame Hardwicke won't be doing the next one. I hope it's just as funny.

(Reply to this)
Michelle C.
Michelle C. writes:
on Mar 21 2009 04:15 PM

I've seen better acting in Soap Operas, Stars Wars "Phantom Menace", and "Attack of the Clones". And don't get me started on the terrible special effects, I could see the cables not that not seeing the cables would have made this movie any better.

(Reply to this)
Kate G.
Kate G. writes:
on Mar 21 2009 07:43 PM

Ok, did I want the movie to be more like the book? Of course! But I liked it for what it was, just as all die hard twilight fans did. I wish there was more Cullen family character development, the friendship with Alice is completely absent of details....but all in all enjoyable.

(Reply to this)
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